To understand whether or not you should start taking whey protein, you should first understand what it is and what it does. In this article we will discuss where whey protein comes from, what it does, how it works and why you should use it, if at all.
What is whey protein? Whey protein is a natural product collected from the process of making cheeses and yoghurt. Ever wondered what the watery liquid on the top of yoghurt was? Well, its whey, and it is very high in protein.
What does whey protein do? Whey protein is the building block of muscle. It provides muscles with the nutrients needed to develop and grow. When muscles are stressed through exercise, they become not just hungry but damaged, protein is what they need to repair the damage and feed them the nutrients they require to grow.
Just like building a house, you need bricks. The more bricks you have, the bigger you can build your house. Think of protein as a brick, the more of it you have in your body, the bigger your muscles can grow and the quicker they can repair.
Who uses whey protein? Bodybuilders use protein supplements such as whey protein powder to achieve their personal muscle development goals and as such, whey protein is now one of the biggest sellers in the world of supplements. Found in natural products like milk, cheese, eggs, meat and fish, protein is a much needed nutrient for all humans. It is used by our bodies to develop muscle cells and this is why bodybuilders and pro sports persons use it so commonly.
Should you decide to embark on a training regime, you will most likely find yourself in the gym surrounded by guys AND girls using “Protein Shakes” when they finish their workout.
Protein is at its most effective when taken directly after a workout, however, if your muscles run out of protein when they are trying to develop, they will start to eat themselves, this process is called catabolism. Catabolism is when the muscle runs out of “food” (protein) and looks for other ways to find energy.
As a general rule, protein requirement is usually worked out as “1g per lb of body fat” and should be taken at regular intervals during the day to keep the saturation of protein in the muscles at a good level.
Let’s face it, you don’t want to waste all your hard work in the gym while your sleeping simply because your body runs out of protein to use and starts catabolising your muscles for energy, do you?
Should I use whey protein? If you’re looking to grow muscle, develop strength, become leaner or even lose weight, then, yes! There is a protein supplement out there for all different needs when it comes to gym or strength based activities. If you are wanting to gain lean muscle mass (big, well defined muscles) then you may be interested to try a Protein Shake like PhD Nutrition Pharma-Whey HT Protein (my personal favourite, there are LOTS of others).
If you are looking to lose weight then a product like PhD Nutrition’s Diet Whey. PhD are the UK’s number 1 protein supplement brand and are quickly taking place in other markets such as Europe and USA due to it’s unique blend of high quality protein and well known fat loss ingredients such as Green Tea Extract and CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acids). Taking Diet Whey can help, but not cure, weight loss and aid serious people achieve their weightloss goals.
